SECRET POLITICAL SOCIETIES.
Mr. CASON offered the following:
WHEREAS, It has been asserted by that arch-fiend and traitor, Jeff. Davis, in a speech lately made by him at Richmond, Va., that the Great West is preparing for secession from the East;
AND WHEREAS, The Grand Jury of one of the United States Courts finds that there exists in this State a secret political organization, held together by the most horrible and wicked oaths, and having for its purpose and objects, among other things, the assistance and encouragement of the Southern Confederacy, and the formation of a Northwestern Confederacy, with its ultimate annexation to the Southern Confederacy; therefore, be it
Resolved, That a committee of five be appointed, with power to send for persons and papers, to investigate and inquire whether any such political organization does exist in this State, with any such designs, or having for its objects the resistance of the due and, legal enforcement of any of the laws of this State or of the United States, or for the overthrow of the. legally constituted authorities of this State or of the United States, and to further report to this House what, if any, legislation is necessary to protect the government from the unlawful acts of these treasonable associations.
Mr. BROWN moved to lay the resolution on the table.
The yeas and nays were demanded by Messrs. Griffith and Moorman, and being ordered and taken resulted--yeas 57, nays 35--as follows :
YEAS--Messrs. Abbett, Atkison, Bird, Blocher, Bregan, Brown, Burton, Collins, Cook, Donaldson, Ferris, Garvin, Hall, Hanna, Harden, of Washington; Hardin, of Perry; Harney, Hetfield, Hon, Howard, Howell, Howk, Humphreys, Kemp of Dubois; Kemp, of Vigo; Lake, Lasselle, Lee, Lemmon, of Harrison; Lemmon of Spencer; Mason, McGauchey, Miller, Milroy, Mutz, Niblack, O'Brien, of Martin; Osborn, Packard, Pendleton, Priest, Puett, Reitz, Richardson, Rippey, Roberts, Ryan, Shaffer, Shoaff, of Allen; Shoaff, of Jay; Spencer, Veach, Waterman, Williams, Wolfe, Woollen,and Mr. Speaker--57.
NAYS--Messrs. Abbett, Anderson, Baker, Budd, Byerle, Cason, Chambers, Davis, DeBruler, Forester, Gregg, Gregory, Griffith, Hershey, Higgins, Hostetter, Hutchins, James, Johnson, Jones, Kendrick, Kilgore, Lamb, Leeds. Marshall, Moorman, Newman, Noyes, Perry, Pettibone, Robinson, Stone, Tarkington, Van Buskirk, and Woodruff--85.
Pending the roll call--
Mr. ATKISON stated that he believed the investigation would be fruitless, and consequently he should vote "aye."
Mr. ROBERTS said that if he really thought there was such a secret organization in existence in the State, he would vote for the resolution and the committee to investigate. But the thing was so ridiculous, that he should vote to lay it on the table.
Mr. KENDRICK said he should vote in favor of the resolution, as to do otherwise would be to impeach a grand jury of our country, which he was not prepared to do.
Mr. PACKARD. I, as a member of this House, prefer to impeach a biased and political grand jury, rather than to impeach the patriotism [ ] people: I vote "aye."
So the resolution was laid on the table.
